Curtain-display rack.



PATENTED AUG; 18, 1903.

J. A. GEMMILL. CURTAIN DISPLAY RACK.

APPLICATION FILED JAIL 26, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

ligmf fl g yz jj inventor,

Witnesses:

Attorneys rm: Mums PETERS cor, MoToummwAsmNmom n. cy

UNITED STATES Patented August 18, 1903. I

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES ALFRED GEMMILL, OF CAR LETQN PLACE, CANADA.

CURTAIN-DISPLAY RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 736,379, dated August 18, 1903.

Application filed January 26, 1903. Serial Noll/10,525. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs ALFRED GEM- MILL, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Carleton Place, county of Lanark, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Display Racks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i

My invention relates to display-racks; and its object is to provide a rack of this kind which is especially intended for displayinga great number of difierent kinds of curtains, while at the same time occupying a minimum amount of space, and affording means for protecting the curtains, when not being displayed, from the dust.

I A further object has been to provide means for showing 0E to advantage curtains of fine lace or rare design.

In its general construction the invention comprises a support or track which presents in plan substantially the outline of a U. This track affords support for a plurality of cross rods or hangers to which the curtains or other fabrics to be displayed may be attached. The extremities of the track are expected to be secured against the'wall of a room, and one of these extremities is provided with means for supporting a dust-proof covering for the curtains which is adapted to be folded back against the-wall when not in use ina manner which will be described more fully. Arrangement is made for quickly removing the aforesaid hangers or placing additional hangers upon the track. In conjunction with the dust-proof covering already referred to there is provided a dust-curtain, which is hung in a similar manner to that ofthe curtains which are being displayed, affording means for providing additional protection from the dust.

The invention also includes such an arrangement as enables a dark background of suitable fabric to be quickly thrown behind any one of the curtains being displayed for the purpose of setting ofi its quality or design.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully sectional View of a portion of the rack, showing a short section of the track to exhibit the means for applying or removing the hangers. Throughout the drawings and specification the same numerals of reference denote like parts.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 5

represents a track which comprises substantially U-shaped members 6 and 7, the former of which surrounds the latter, as indicated in Fig. 2. These members are arranged upon the same horizontal plane. Their extremities are expected to be attached to or supported from a wall 8. The member 6 includes straight portions 9 and a curved portion 10. Likewise the member 7 includes straight portions 11 and a curved portion 12. It should appear that the curved portions and 12 are disposed upon the arcs of circles having a common center substantially at the point 13. These track members 6 and 7 consist, sub stan-tially, of tubes or pipes bent in the required form and which are provided on their adjacent sides, respectively with slots 14 and 15, which extend continuously throughout their length. They maybe supported throughout their length by means of rods 16, which depend from the ceiling 37 and which terminate in suitable brackets 17 for this purpose.

From the arrangement of the members 6 and 7, which has been briefly described, it should appear that they are maintained at an equal distance apart throughout their length. They afford means for supporting the extremities of the curtain-hangers 18, which are movable upon them continuously, as will be readily understood. These hangers consist simply of straight rods of a diameter somewhat less than the width of the slots 14 and and having enlarged or upset heads 19, which heads.

lie in place behind the slots and prevent accidental removal of the hangers, as will be readily understood, at the same time in no way restricting the freedom of the movement of the hanger from place to place upon the track. In order to enable these hangers to be placed in the manner indicated at a suitable point, such. as one extremity of the track, the slots 14 and 15 are enlarged, as indicated at 20.

The curtains are expected to be suspended from the hangers 18, to which, if necessary, they may be attached by pins-or similar fastening devices. When the curtains are not being displayed, it is expected that they will be arranged close together at one extremity of the track, and at which point there is provided a dust-proof covering 21 of suitable fabric,which, as indicated, is suspended across above the track, its extremities hanging down on each side of the same. Its inner edge 22 is attached to the wall 8. Near its outer edge this covering is attached to a sliding rod 23, the extremities of which are provided with crooks 24, which pass around the outer sides of the members 6 and 7 in the manner shown, the body of this rod or bar lying upon the track, as indicated. When it is desired to remove this covering 21 so as to enable the collection of curtains to be inspected for the purpose of exhibiting certain ones, the covering 21 may be pushed back against the wall until it assumes some such position as that shown in the dotted lines at 25, the rod 23 sliding freely toward the wall to enable this to be effected. After this has been done the curtains may be moved out into full view at different points upon the track, and the particular curtain, such as that which may be supposed to be carried by the hanger 26, may be isolated from the rest, as indicated, the curtains in front of it being pushed around on the other branch. of the track. From this arrangement it'should readily appear that any one of the curtains may be brought into an isolated position,where it may be exhibited to the best advantage and placed advantageously also with respect to the light.

When the curtains are not in use, in addition to the covering 21 there is provided a second covering 27, which is.also of dustproof material and carried by one of the hangers 28 in the same manner as the curtains which are to be displayed, the construction of this hanger being substantially the same as that of the hangers 18. This covering 27 is so placed that when the curtains are arranged together at one point under the covering 21 in the manner described it occupies the outermost position, wherefore it acts as a screen or covering to protect the outer side of the curtains from the dust, as will be readily understood.

Arrangement is made for providing a suitable background where it is desired to exhibit a particular curtain to advantage on account of its peculiar quality or design. To this end there is provided a cross -brace 29, which passes substantially above the aforesaid center 13. It is provided upon its lower side with a pivot-pin 30, which supports asheath 31, which sheath consists, substantially, of a horizontally-disposed tubular member provided on its lower side withaslot 32. Within this sheath there is slidably mounted a member 33, to the extremity of which there is attached a downwardly-extending arm 34, passing through the slot 32. To this arm.and to the lower side of the member 33 are attached the edges of a background or screen 35 of fabric.

From this arrangement it should appear that the sheath 31 may be revolved about its pivot so as to bring it into any desired position with respect to the track 5, whereupon the member 33 may be slid outwardly, so as to bring the aforesaid fabric 35 into a position below the track 5 such as that shown in the dotted lines at 35 in Fig. 1. This fabric is of course of such a nature as is well adapted to this purpose, which is to constitute an advantageous background for a curtain which is being exhibited. Evidently the arrangement described enables this background to be quickly adjusted into the proper position for any curtain carried upon the rack, and obviously the construction of the rack enables this operation to be performed advantageously also with respect to the particular direction in which the light may fall upon the curtain.

An additional brace 36 may be provided, of semicircular form, as indicated, the lower edge of which is at substantially the same level as the lower edge of the member 7, wherefore it constitutes a rest against which the upper side of the sheath31 may press, operating to maintain the fabricv 35 in equilibrium in the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1.

Where the rack is of small size,which maybe the case in some instances, the diiferent parts comprising it may be attached to a bracket 38, which may be attached to the ceiling and wall by screws 39.

While I have shown in the accompanying drawings the preferred form of my invention, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise form shown, for many of the details may be changed in form or position without affecting the operativeness or utility of my invention, and I therefore reserve the right to make all such modifications as are included within the scope of the following claims or of mechanical equivalents to the structures set forth.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a display-rack, in combination,a track comprising branches extending substantially in the same direction, a portion connecting said branches and constituting a continuation thereof, hangers supported by said track, and a covering of fabric lying across a portion of said track and beneath which said hangers may be assembled, saidifabric beingadapted to be thrown back to display the articles therebeneath carried by said hangers.

. upon said support, a member adapted to constitute a background for exhibiting articles carried by said hangers, and means for maintaining said member so that it is projected into said path.

- 4. In a display-rack, in combination, hangers,a support for said hangers and constituting a path along which said hangers may be moved, a member adapted to constitute a background for displaying articles carried by said haugers,and means for guiding said member so that it may be projected into said path at different points thereof.

5. In adisplay-rack, in combination, hangers, a support therefor, said support being of .changing direction and adapted to constitute a path along whichsaid hangers may be moved, a member adapted to constitute a background in displaying articles carried by said hangers,and means for guidin g said member so that it may be projected at difierent angles and into said path.

6. In a display-rack, in combination, a pair of substantially parallel tubular members having longitudinal slots, and hangers for the articles to bedisplayed carried therebetween, the extremities of said hangers being received by said slots.

7. In a display-rackfln combination, hangers for the articles to be displayed, a track along which said hangers may be moved, said track comprising substantially parallel tubular members having longitudinal slots therein,said hangers being received by said slots.

8. In a display-rack, in combination, hangers for the articles to bedisplayed, substantially parallel members constituting a support for said hangers, said members having continuous slots therein, the extremities of said hangers being received by said slots and having enlargements therebeyond.

9. In a display-rack, in combination, hangers for the articles to be displayed, a substantially U shaped track constituting a support for said hangers, said track comprising i a pair of substantially parallel tubular mombers, having slots on their adjacent sides, the extremities of said hangers being received by said slots and having enlargements there beyond, a pivoted guide adjacent to said track, a member slidably carried thereby and adapted to constitute a background for displaying the articles on said rack, said meming a pair of tubular members having longitudinal slots therein, the extremities ofsaid hangers being received by said slots and having heads which may prevent the removal of said hangers, said slots being enlarged at a point whereby said heads may be passed into the same.

11. In a display-rack, in combination, a support, a plurality of hangers carried thereby, a covering carried by said support and beneath which said hangers may be assembled, said covering being of fabric, and a transverse rod constituting a support for the outer edge of said covering andcarried by said support.

12. In a display-rack, in combination, a support, a covering of fabric carried by a portion thereof, hangers carried by said support and adapted to be assembled beneath said covering,said covering consisting substantiallyof fabric thrown across a portion of said support and hanging down at the sides thereof, anda curtain carried by one of said hangers and adapted to form a covering for the sidewhen said hangers have been assembled.

13. In a display-rack, in combination, a substantially U -shaped support, theextremities whereof may be attached to a wall, a covering, hangers carried bysaid support and movable continuously thereupon, said hangers being adapted to carry articles to be displayed and adapted to be assembled beneath said covering, a curtain carried by one of said hangers and constituting a covering, a

second curtain carried adjacent to said su.p--

port and adapted to constitute abackground for displaying articles carried by said hangers,

and means for maintaining said second curtain in a position adjacent to individual members of the articles carried by said hangers.

' In witness whereofI have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES ALFRED GEMMILL.

' Witnesses:

F. MoLLoY, EVA L. MUNRO. 

